Oosterdam Journal

Oosterdam Journal

Day 2.

Ok, so there was actually no Day 1 entry, and I’m already so relaxed that I probably can’t remember much, but I’ll do my best.

Alex, you and Bubby left us as we went through security.  That was quick, because, well, we weren’t flying, and I’m not sure what they were looking for.  Contraband lifeboats, maybe?  Then we waited and waited to get checked in, but in actuality, it probably wasn’t more than about 30 minutes before we were on the boat.  Ship.  Whatever.  And because it was relatively late in the day, we could go directly to our room.  I figured that it would be late evening before our luggage made it to our room, but there it was waiting for us!  Along with two or three other bags that didn’t belong to us.  We sent them away with our new best friend, our steward, Yendri.  This room is huge, as far as ship staterooms go, and we have a shower AND a bathtub, as well as two sinks in the bathroom.  Such class!  We can both wash our hands AT THE SAME TIME.

Then came the safety drill.  This consisted of the entire ship standing out in the freezing cold, while the crew members tried to ascertain who was actually present.  That involved one Filipino voice calling out a room number, echoed by four other Filipino voices repeating the same number, then all of them arguing how to pronounce the name attached to that room number.  Then, because the mean age of the passengers on the ship is about 85,  probably no one responding, and the whole process is repeated over again.  It took forever.  I kid you not about the mean age:  a gentleman  standing in front of us couldn’t remember where he lived, (as in which city, not which stateroom) and had to ask his wife.  For the record, they live in Brentwood Bay.  I hope he doesn’t drive.

Anyway, the rest of the afternoon/evening until dinner sort of passed in a blur.  We were so tired that we fell asleep every time we sat down.  Dinner was so nice:  for the first time, ever, we have a lovely table by the window.  Our waiter, Freddy, recognized H. from our first cruise!  The food was very good, and the servings are small enough (remember the mean age of the passengers) that we can have a number of courses and not be too full.  H. had tomato soup, salad, and roast beef.  I had something Thai (can’t remember what), a fruit salad appetizer and (for Matthew) a cheese plate for dessert.  Freddy even found my favourite cheese (blueberry stilton) that wasn’t supposed to be available.  I might have to marry him for that!.

Today was deliciously lazy.  We tried to go up to the library, but its on the tenth floor, and just a bit rocky in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so we spent the day on lower levels.  We were most upset to find that there was no Oneg Shabbat listed on the daily schedule of events.  But at 5 o’clock, H. had a brainwave and phoned the front desk to inquire about Shabbat services, and was told that they were being held in the Hudson Room at 5 o’clock.  We ran down, and found ONE other couple there.  They had complained about the lack of a Shabbat Service, and somehow the ship came through:  three Challahs, a platter of  gefilte fish, horseradish sauce (not as good as ours) and two sponge cakes!  For the four of us.  We just sat and chatted, ate some GF, and left!  Maybe next week will be better.



Day 3

So, after the non-Oneg Shabbat, we got ready for
Dinner:

             

And had a very nice meal, including the smallest portion of eggplant caponata that I have every seen, and a 4 ounce steak for H.  No guilt there!


Afterwards, I had my favourite - the cheese plate - and once again Fredy was able to scare up some blueberry stilton for me.  Sorry, no pictures.

Today is sort of gloomy, and we’re still falling asleep every time we stop moving.  Must be tired and needing to catch up on some sleep.  Either that or all that fresh sea air.  Now off to lunch.






Day 4

Last night was Formal Night.  Which meant that everyone got dressed up in their finest.  Well, almost everyone.  There were still a few jeans and t-shirts in evidence.  But we did see one bride and her uniformed groom.  Not sure what kind of uniform it was, but they were cute.  So was this couple, no?



And, because I know that you want to see the shoes:

They travel quite well, those shoes.

Dinner was another winner.  Fredy had arranged to bring me an Indonesian meal, and it was delicious.  We can’t get over how nice he is and how much he is willing to go out of his way for us!

After dinner we wandered over to the Vista Lounge for the Captain’s Toast, where he introduced some of his staff, as well as the crewmember of the month (or something like that).  We made a quick getaway before the ‘entertainment’ started.  This trip we discovered Dianne Fast in the piano bar.  She can sing almost anything, knows all the words (or, her ipad does), and has a lovely voice.  Very nice, indeed.

Today, the weather is slightly better, but the ocean is a bit rougher.  We are exactly half way between Vancouver and Lahaina (our first stop).  We’re still not bored, and have managed to cut down to two naps a day.  We’ve booked a couple’s massage for 4:30 this afternoon, so we are resting up for the event.

We figure that the medical staff must be quite busy on this voyage.  As I think I said earlier, there seems to be a huge number of frail elderly on this trip, and we’ve already witnessed two falls.  So far, no one has been airlifted to the mainland, so I think we’ll make it to Maui without incident.  I haven’t seen any pregnant passengers, so I’m fairly confident that my neonatal skills won’t be called upon anytime soon.  On the other hand, the elderly and semi demented seem to find H. with regularity, just to keep his skills from getting rusty.

Day 5

So, the massage/spa experience, yesterday.  The massage was very nice - it is always nice - but the second, the absolute second it was over the hard sell started.  From trying to push a massage package: you have such knots in your back that you need several treatments to get rid of them; to skin care packages: your skin is so dry….etc, etc; to trying to sell the various gels and creams.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  And I won’t go back.   Ugh!

Then, to top it off, dinner was a 50% flop.  H. had salmon (good) and I had what should have been great:  Charlie Trotter’s olive oil poached cod.  A nice thick piece, but it was dry and tasteless.  Charlie Trotter would have a fit if he knew.  Fredy, of course,  brought dinner back from the brink by bringing me the best cheese plate, yet.  All my favourites:  Humboldt Fog, Drunken Goat (I kid you not), and the ever popular blueberry stilton.  There was also a chocolate covered ball of capuccino ice cream, but we have decided never to talk about such things.  Sorry, no pictures tonight.

We woke up early this morning, and spent a leisurely day in the library and on the Lido deck in the sun.  It is finally starting to warm up, and  we’ve seen blue skies for the first time this trip.  The funny thing is that out here, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there is barely any movement.  I can’t tell, from up  here on the sixth floor, if the swells are 6 feet high, or ten feet high.    We haven’t seen anything else out there, either, no sealife, no birds, and no other boats.  This is the definition of peaceful (which, an old guy told me, is the definition of Pacific!).  You have no idea how wonderful this is, despite the nasty spa experience…

Day 6

Today was warm (not hot, but a definite improvement) and even sunny at times.  For the first time we did a walk around the deck.  Well, a couple of decks:  four times around deck 10, and once around deck 3 (the promenade deck).  That makes a mile, I think.    H.  did his obligatory sleeping on the veranda.  And LD (that’s Larry David, not London Drugs) made his first appearance of the trip:



Tonight was the second formal night, and we kind of got ourselves cleaned up for the occasion:
        


What we find quite remarkable and wonderful is the extremely elderly people who really get dressed up.  We’re talking tuxedos and dinner jackets, and formal gowns.  And they dance, too.  One very frail lady said to me: “I can’t walk, but I can dance if he holds me up.”  So sweet!



And, no Dick Cheney is not on our ship:


For the record, here is a partial list of all those activities in which we do not participate:

Educational lectures (on Hawaii, space, shopping etc);
Dance lessons;
Bingo;
Casino activities;
Wine tastings;
Jewelery raffles;
Theatre performances (tried - couldn’t sit through it);
Cooking classes;
Movies shown in the screening room (although we keep telling ourselves that we will).

We do, however, do the following:

Stare at the sea for long periods of time;
Read on deck;
Read in bars;
Read in our (lovely, spacious) room;
Participate fully in Nap Time;
Attend Happy Hour at the Ocean Bar (love watching the old people dance to the jazzy trio that plays);
Knit (ok, that’s just me);

Tomorrow is Maui.  Can’t wait!

Through My Eyes

Another hectic exam period has come and gone.  It is unbelievable, the amount of stress and anxiety, one can develop from the final stages of school.  I tend to become a frazzled mess, and a complete basket case.  It really does not matter how many times you go through it... You always seem to be shocked by all the work involved.  It might be just me, but I find every year, I think I have prepared myself, until the night before... That seems to always be the time, where I panic and forget everything.  There also comes the point (usually after my first exam) where I quite frankly, do not care about marks any longer.  All I can think about is finishing.  Well I am done. I am finished.  I am walking away with my Tourism Management Diploma. My next chapter... Well I am not quite sure what that is, yet ( Any suggestions??).  But I do know, I am simply ecstatic to finally share some recipes,  as well as a few photos of what has kept me sane, this past week.  

Flowers by our doorstep 

Green Lentils & Rice Spinach Pilaff
 With Tahini dressing

equal parts rice and lentil 

water

Onion- chopped

Garlic- minced

Spinach 

Tomatoes- chopped 

Cumin

Smoked paprika 

Himalayan pink salt

Tahini

Apple cider vinegar

Olive oil

Water

Himalayan pink salt

Pepper

This was a dinner for one- so the amount of ingredients is minimal compared to normal.  That being said, I will not be putting measurements.  One of the joys of cooking... Eyeballing everything! 

For the dressing- Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl. For reference:  I used 1 tsp tahini, 1/2 a tsp vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, S&P to taste and then water till a desired consistensy.  This dressing is amazing with lemon... If you have some.

In a pot, use equal parts rice and lentils, and bring to a boil in 2 times the amount of liquids. Once it has boiled, turn your stove to low and put a lid on for about 20 minutes .  Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, sauté onions and garlic.  Because all good things start with onions and garlic.  Once they have browned, add in a handful of spinach and some roughly chopped tomatoes.  Add in the cumin, smoked paprika and salt to taste and set aside.  Once your lentils and rice have cooked add your onion mixture to the pot and combine. Drizzle some of the Tahini mixture on top.

It is that time of year, again!

Vinaigrette Beet Salad
Herb Potatoes
&
Miso Roasted Eggplant

Vinaigrette Beet salad

4 small beets- roasted at 400' for one hour and peeled

hand full of fresh parsley

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 a red onion

2 garlic cloves

S&P

In a food processor,  blend the parsley, vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic and S&P.  Set aside.  After the beets have roasted, peel them and slice into 1 inch rounds.  When you are ready to serve, drizzle with your vinaigrette. 

Herb Potatoes

3 red skin potatoes- roughly chopped (peeled OR  un peeled)

olive oil

2 garlic cloves- minced 

Thyme

Parsley- chopped

Himalayan salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes

In a pot, boil the potatoes until you are able to easily prick with a fork.  Once they are ready, begin mashing, while slowly adding olive oil.  Use enough for the potatoes to mix together.  Add in garlic, dried thyme, parsley and season to taste with S&P and red pepper flakes

Miso Roasted Eggplant

3 small eggplants- sliced in half

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp water 

1/2 tsp honey

3 Tbsp miso

To make the dressing, stir together the vinegar, oil, honey, miso and water.

Slice the eggplants in half, lengthwise and prink with a fork.  Add your dressing on top of the eggplant and roast in a 400' oven for 45 minutes.  Or until golden brown. 

Sunday Brunch

Well, it wasn't actually a Sunday Brunch as in mimosas, flowers on the table, or anything very fancy or well thought out.  It started with a craving, which was followed by an internet search for the best recipe, then close the book (ie turn off the computer) and dive in.

I started off with a red pepper (organic, no less) which I flattened, then placed in a hot-ish black cast iron frying pan (no oil), lid on.  Then waited for the charring magic to happen.  Which it did, just before the smoke detectors went off.  Then I plopped it on a plate and stuck the lid back on so it could steam as it cooled.  Then,   I chopped half a red onion, sauteed it in a bit of oil in the same pan, added a chopped clove of garlic and added  one can of chopped tomatoes, drained.  I let it all cook together until most of the liquid had evaporated.    In the meantime, I peeled and chopped the nicely charred red pepper, and threw it into the tomato mixture.  The final touch was the eggs:  poached right in the whole mess.  Cooked with the lid on for about 4 minutes.  Salt, pepper, chopped parsley.  Voila:  probably not authentic, but very delicious Shakshuka for Sunday Brunch.  Served with lots of hot coffee (which I like to make with cardamom, but don't tell anyone).

(OK, to be honest, this was not my shakshuka, but it did look exactly like this)

The method for charring the pepper is one that I learned from watching Diana Kennedy on her cooking show, years and years ago.  It is certainly easier, for me, than using a broiler.  I do believe that my black cast iron frying pan is my very favourite piece of kitchen equipment.  Well, that and the coffee grinder.

Red, White, and Green

Tilapia and a handful of cherry tomatoes, with some brussel sprouts, in a 350' oven were as easy as they were delicious.  A pot of brown rice with a couple handfuls of peas is simple but satisfying.  Avocado potato salad- A spin on the traditional potato salad without the mayo'.  It was so creamy and light !  

We absolutely love meals that come just come together.  Mind you, that is easier said than done, and we usually need a recipe to get some sort of inspiration. There is the odd night though, where we were lucky, and everything mindlessly came together. 

Tilapia

Smoked paprika

Pepper

Ms Dash Lemon Herb

Cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

Pink himalayan salt

Season your fish (any white fish will do! Pick something fresh) with smoked paprika, pepper and Ms Dash. Cut the tomatoes in half and season with salt and olive oil. Place the fish and tomatoes on a foil lined baking dish in a 350' oven for 10-15 minutes- depending on the amount of fish you cook.

Avocado Potato Salad

3 large Red skin potatoes

1 avocado

1 garlic clove- minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 a lime

Sea salt

Pepper

Cayenne powder

Cook the potatoes on the stove, in a pot of water for 12 minutes- or until you can stick a knife through the potatoes. When they have finished, let cool, and then roughly chop into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, remove the pit from the avocado and place in a bowl with minced garlic, olive oil, lime juice, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and mix well. (If you like, you can do this in a food processor). Add the potatoes to your avocado mixture and mix well. Add any additional seasoning.

Spring Time Delight

My favorite drink in one of my favorite stores.

Whole Foods blossoms and a green smoothie.

Tradition!

The Seders have come and gone, and we can finally sit back, and write about them.  The Seders were Friday and Saturday, but we have been immersed in them for a good while now.  While a lot of it went over extremely well, there were some parts that missed the boat a little.  The biggest hit was our homemade chrein (prepared horseradish); chicken soup (& veggie for some) with knaidle- recipe on the matzo meal box- sadly not gluten free.  Not even wheat free) So we went for the kosher for passover noodles.  The roasted  tzimmes was so flavourful and could probably have been confused for dessert.  It was a combination of parsnips, butternut squash, sweet potato, dried figs and apricots.   All roasted to carmelized goodness.   Gluten free matzo - which was not technically the real thing, but since we do not eat wheat, it was the best option.  We prepared just a small amount for ourselves to do the prayers, yet it turned out to be a favourite to many.  We  even had to make a new batch for the second night!  Go figure! And, of course, the brisket, and multiple desserts, provided by Bubby, were to die for.  Our gefilte fish on the other hand, kind of  fell flat.  The original recipe (from the family) is so good, but we made a couple of substitutions, which may have affected the final outcome.  Most notably we substituted cod and tilapia for the pike and whitefish that was called for.   It was good, but it was just not as good as the original.  Of course, I loved it, and have been having it for lunch, with the chrein, since the Seders.

The table, too, turned out well, using all of our inherited dishes, candlesticks, silverware, and linens.  Its fun to set a beautiful table, but it takes a lot of ironing.  A trick:  we washed the tablecloth after Seder #1, then threw it back on the table (protected by a white plastic table protector thingy) while still wet; smoothed it carefully into place, and let it air dry:  no wrinkles, and no ironing.

I love the Passover Seder, and some of my fondest early memories are of the Seders at my grandparents table.  I love the traditions, the songs, the prayers.  I love knowing that all over the world (taking time zones into consideration) that other Seders are being celebrated more or less the same way.    I love knowing that our boys, while not in this province, are celebrating Seders with families who went out of their way to have them.  And because of their years at the Seder tables of family and friends here, are comfortable in the ritual that is the Seder, despite the differences in other families traditions.

So, as they say, next year in Jerusalem.

Rosemary Lima Bean Soup & Fig Tapenade

Via Eats Well With Others

To say we have been cooking all day is an understatement.  We spent the better part of today in the kitchen preparing for our not one, but two Pesach seders this weekend.  So far, we tackled the table setting, gefilte fish and homemade chrain.  We read umpteen recipes on making chrain, and every single one warned of the horrific smells and burning that came from preparing horseradish. Some even suggesting wearing a wet rag over your nose and mouth. A little exaggerated possibly? It could be all the onions we chop on a daily basis but we were not bothered a bit.  That being said, we did take a few big whiffs, in attempt to see where the recipes were coming from. That was a mistake.. The chrain came out perfectly. A lot of heat while still maintaining flavour, and  such a pretty colour from the beet.

Dinner tonight was a lima bean soup, with delicate flavours of rosemary and mushrooms, and topped off with a sweet tapenade of fig and olive. Sounds a bit weird, but it worked. Served with a side of roasted brussel sprouts and enjoyed on the couch, as the dinning room table was in use (see above).  In our forgetful house, doing some things a head of time never hurt anybody, and better safe than sorry. ie: table set four days in advance.

Rosemary Lima Bean Soup
1 cup dried baby lima beans-rehyderated
2 Tbls olive oil
1 onion-diced
2 garlic cloves-finely chopped
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 celery stock
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated in about 2 cups of water
1 stalk celery, diced, then cooked briefly in water (the microwave is your friend, here)
4 cups stock- from celery and mushrooms
1 bay leaf
sea salt / himalayan salt
pepper

1. Cover dried mushrooms and celery in boiled water and put aside for 15 minutes
2. In a medium size pot, sauté onions until slightly golden and add garlic. Add the mushrooms and celery + their stock, dehydrated lima beans, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Remove the rosemary + bay leaf and season to taste with pepper and two  kinds of  salt. Let it continue to simmer for 15-20 minuets.
3. Pour half of the soup into a blender ( or use a hand blender) and puree until desired consistency

Fig tapenade

4 dried figs- finely chopped

1/4  c water

2 Tbls almonds- toasted and finely chopped

1/4 cup kalamata olives- finely chopped

1 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls balsamic vinegar

1 fresh rosemary sprig

himalayan salt

pepper

1. Place chopped figs in a small pot with water on medium heat. Let simmer until the water has boiled off ( about 10 minutes). Take the figs off the heat and add the kalamata olives, toasted almonds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and salt + pepper to taste.

Homemade chrein